BEARS 5, SOUND TIGERS 4

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers lost to the Hershey Bears Sunday afternoon by a final score of 5-4. Andrey Pedan scored twice in the contest for the Sound Tigers, while Brant Harris notched his first career professional goal. Alan Quine also picked up a goal for the Sound Tigers. Kevin Poulin started in net and made 28 saves on the game.

The first period ended without a goal, but both teams exploded for three goals apiece in the middle frame. Initially, Kris Newbury blocked a shot from the point and sprung free on a breakaway. He went to the backhand and got it by Poulin to make it a 1-0 game. Later in the period, Casey Wellman took a pass from Newbury and got his shot past Poulin to double the lead. Less than three minutes following Wellman’s goal, Newbury got his second on a deflection from a Cameron Schilling shot to give the Bears a 3-0 lead.

23 seconds later, the Sound Tigers came back with their first of three in a row to end the second period. Jake Newton took a shot from the point that was stopped by David Leggio, but Quine crashed the net and put home the rebound to make it a 3-1 game. Less than four minutes later, Justin Johnson led an odd-man rush into the Bears zone and found Pedan, who was trailing the play. Pedan blasted a one-timer top shelf to make it a one-goal game. Less than two minutes later, the Sound Tigers were shorthanded when Pedan walked into the slot and got a wrist shot past Leggio to tie the score at three.

Harris came through on the power play early in the third period to give the Sound Tigers the lead. Pedan made a bid for a hat trick, but Leggio stopped his slap shot try. The rebound kicked out to the left circle for Harris, however, who drove it past Leggio for the goal.

Dane Byers tied the score less than four minutes later when he was parked out in front and got a deflection on Schilling’s center-point shot. Then, at the 10:23 mark, Michael Latta scored what went on to be the game-winning goal. Chris Brown came around the net and fed the puck through the crease to Latta, who was waiting at the post. Poulin was unable to get back in time, and Latta scored to give Hershey the 5-4 lead.

The Sound Tigers return to action Friday when they are on the road to face Albany. They’ll return home for two games this weekend, the final two home games of the 2013-14 season. The Sound Tigers host the Adirondack Phantoms Saturday night and the Springfield Falcons Sunday afternoon.